IBM attempts to conquer the cloud with plans to introduce 20 new industry-specific tools

The tools cover verticals like healthcare, fraud and marketing

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IBM has created 12 industry-specific subscription-based cloud solutions, the company said May 29. The releases include specific healthcare, mobility, asset management, customer data and predictive asset management tools.

IBM's cloud-based healthcare solution is designed to help institutions improve patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs by integrating care management, analytics and patient engagement. IBM's mobility management cloud-based tool will include mobile accelerators, designs and development models to help organizations across all verticals improve mobile application and site development.

IBM's asset management tool is designed to provide clients that haven't invested deeply in asset management the opportunity to maximize returns. IBM will also release a customer data tool that will leverage analytics in order to help IBM clients maximize marketing return on investment, and a predictive asset tool that is geared toward enabling proactive analysis.

Additional releases

IBM has also announced customer analytics, fraud prevention, digital commerce, adaptive learning, emergency management, marketing management, and real estate management tools. Each of which is designed to provide businesses with the tools necessary to manage data regardless of industry or specific cloud-based need.

IBM also plans to introduce eight cloud-based solutions that will be rolled out throughout 2014. It is unclear what the additional solutions will focus on or when during 2014 they will be announced.

TP Vision is a beta user of IBM's customer data solution. Albert Mombarg, Director of Smart TV at TP Vision, said via statement that IBM's solution allows the company "to provide[s] an economic, more flexible way to create new services for our viewers, driving ongoing business innovation."

IBM's cloud vision

IBM has invested more than $7 billion in 17 acquisitions to accelerate its cloud initiatives. In March, IBM completed its acquisition of database-as-a-service (DBaaS) provider Cloudant. The purchase is intended to further IBM's interests in big data and analytics, cloud computing and mobile.

Last week, IBM said it will provide OpenStack integration and cloud virtualization and management capabilities across IBM's server portfolio. The service is designed to enable organizations to more easily adopt and integrate the cloud with their existing IT infrastructure.

Earlier this year, IBM said it would commit $1.2 billion to expanding its global cloud footprint through an increased network of data centers. As part of the plan, 15 new data centers will be opened by the firm worldwide.